#Chapter 75 – Exile

Lila The ride was long. Silent. No one had spoken to me since the palace gates disappeared behind the curve of the hill. The driver avoided my eyes, didn’t respond to my questions. When I asked for the name of the territory, he muttered something about “temporary reassignment” and tightened his fists. We rode through barren fields and thinned-out woods, the kind where trees leaned skeletal and wind howled through the branches like they were mourning. The clouds hung low, thick and gray, stretching across the sky like a woolen veil. The air grew colder with every mile. The roads narrowed. Dirt turned to rock. By the time the wheels jolted to a stop, my fingertips were numb. “This is it,” the driver said flatly. He didn’t look at me as he jumped out and opened the door without a word. A cold gust swept in as he nodded to the path ahead. I stepped out, my boots sinking into damp, uneven earth. I turned to ask what “it” meant, but the driver was already turning around. W